Impact of sense of coherence and work values perception on stress and self-reported health of midwives.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the research was to explore how sense of coherence (SOC) and work values (WVs) impact on stress and perceived health of midwives. Sense of coherence, by definition, reflects a person's view of life and capacity to respond to stressful situations. A further goal was to evaluate the mediating effect of WVs between stress and health. DESIGN: A cross sectional, correlational design was used. SETTING: Participants were randomly selected from 13 hospitals across Hungary. PARTICIPANTS: The final sample included 228 midwives. METHODS: Main measures included Sense of Coherence Questionnaire, stress subscale from the Demand-Control-Support scale, Super's Work Values Inventory and Subjective Health Test developed by the authors. Statistical analyses determined correlation coefficients, difference by independent t-test, and linear regression. FINDINGS: Participants reported high level of stress, showed average SOC and subjective health. The most preferred work values were altruism (Mean = 12.40), economic returns (Mean = 12.11) and supervisory relations (Mean = 11.99). SOC and health were positively (r = 0.47, p < 0.001), while SOC and stress were negatively associated (r = -0.36, p < 0.001). WVs indirectly mediated the relationship between health and stress (r = -0.55, p < 0.001). Midwives who worked less than 5 years in practice did not differ on health, stress, WVs and SOC from those who had been working longer. Going from worst to best perceived personal health increased intention to stay in midwifery by 32% in the linear regression model. KEY CONCLUSIONS: In this study we documented relatively greater levels of stress and average levels of health and SOC among midwives. This paper confirmed that SOC had a positive impact on stress and health specifically for midwives. Uniquely, work values indirectly influenced the relationship between stress and health. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Improving SOC and WVs advance the health of midwives which will reduce the probability of leaving the profession.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine among breast cancer patients in Hungary: A descriptive study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the prevalence of the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) before diagnosis and during oncology therapy, and reveal the disclosure of CAM use among Hungarian breast cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a cross-sectional survey a self-administered questionnaire was used covering patients' demographics, oncology-related variables and various aspects of CAM use. Data were collected from 135 patients. Data analysis included descriptive analysis and Chi-square tests. RESULTS: The prevalence of CAM use was 52.6% before diagnosis while it was 84.4% during therapy. The most commonly used CAM practices before diagnosis and during therapy were vitamins/minerals (37%, 60%, respectively) and herbs (31.9%, 78.5%, respectively). The frequency of CAM use before diagnosis was higher among more educated patients (p < 0.001) and those living in cities (p = 0.001) while during therapy it was higher among patients with higher income (p = 0.020). Over 40% of the patients informed their physician about each CAM practice they used. CONCLUSION: Besides conventional medicine, CAM practices are also regarded as an important part of therapy by cancer patients. The higher frequency of CAM use during therapy and the relatively modest disclosure towards physicians indicate a greater need for patients' education regarding CAM practices.

Socioeconomic status, health related behaviour, and self-rated health of children living in Roma settlements in Hungary.

OBJECTIVE: The poor health of Roma is well documented, but there is only limited data regarding the health of Roma children. The aim of this study was to describe the socioeconomic status, health related behaviour, and health of children living in segregated Roma settlements, and to compare the data with that of non-Roma children. METHODS: In March-April of 2011, a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey among 11-year-old (211 boys and 252 girls) and 13-year-old (205 boys and 247 girls) children living in Roma settlements was performed (response rate: 91.5%). These data were compared with data from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey carried out in 2009/2010. RESULTS: The parents of Roma children were substantially less educated and less likely to be actively employed, and Roma children reported lower material welfare than non-Roma ones. The prevalence of consuming sweets and soft drinks at least 5 times per week was 1.5-2 times higher among Roma children. The prevalence of regular intense physical activity was higher at the age of 13 years among Roma boys, while physical inactivity was substantially higher in both age groups among Roma girls. Almost one quarter of Roma children and approximately 14% of non-Roma children had tried smoking at the age of 11. More Roma boys tried alcohol at the age of 11 than non-Roma ones. One in ten Roma children was obese in both age groups. The self-rated health status of Roma children was worse than that of non-Roma children. CONCLUSIONS: Children living in Roma settlements reported poorer socioeconomic conditions, higher consumption of sweets and soft drinks, earlier smoking and alcohol initiation, and worse self-rated health, but with some exceptions do not differ in fruit or vegetable consumption and BMI from general child population. To promote health of children living in Roma settlements, a multi-sector approach, special health education, plus social and health promotion programmes are needed.